Jealousy
by McAbbyAddict
Summary: Jealousy can make people do strange things... COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: This is just a short, two possibly three chapter story that I couldn't resist writing. Hope you like it! I should have the next chapter up tomorrow. F.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters etc. Pity.**

Abby loved Valentine's Day. She spent most of it getting flowers. Gibbs, Tony, McGee, Ducky and even Palmer usually sent her her favourite black roses. She was able to take most of them in the friendly spirit they'd been intended.

McGee's however... She never admitted to anyone but herself that the sight of flowers from Timothy McGee made her heart leap. She could imagine for one brief second that he still had feelings for her. Those days were long gone, she knew that.

The thought of Tim made her frown a little. She wished she knew what to do about him. She'd been thinking about him way too much lately for her peace of mind. She'd tried going out with a bunch of different guys in an attempt to push the thoughts aside, but it hadn't worked. Conversely, her irritation with herself and with his apparent lack of interest in the subject had made her snappy and short tempered with him. He'd reacted by withdrawing from her, becoming grave and silent to the point that she wondered if he still even considered her a friend. That made her more unhappy, and so the cycle continued. Their relationship had always been complex, but this was starting to get ridiculous. Trust her to become interested in a guy when he'd apparently decided he didn't want anything to do with her any more.

Still, it was bound to be a good day.

...

She entered her lab and started powering up her machines, slipping on her usual lab coat as she did so. Valentine's Day or not, today was a work day, and she needed everything working properly. She checked the searches she'd left running overnight; there wasn't really anything of great importance, but it was easier to let the routine stuff run while she wasn't there; that way it wasn't taking up valuable computing time when she needed to work on something high priority.

The day started off slowly; Gibbs, Ducky and Tony all found excuses to come down to her lab and wish her a happy Valentine's Day. Every time someone entered, she looked up, hoping to see McGee. Soon she heard from Palmer that the team had been called out into the field, and she resigned herself to the return of a normal day at the office.

...

McGee grumbled to himself as he took photos of their latest crime scene. It was shaping up to be a good day so far. He'd gotten in to work late, had a near heart attack when he thought he'd spilt Gibbs' coffee- luckily the cup was empty when he knocked it over- and now he could feel Tony watching him. He knew what that was about.

He'd given Abby roses every Valentine's Day since they met. Always the same thing, 11 black roses and 1 red one. Every year, without fail, he was the first one down to the lab to give them to her. Except this year.

He'd ordered the flowers from his usual florist, but he was honestly still in two minds about giving them to her. He loved Abby. He always had; he'd included the single red rose as a private joke in the bouquet that first year. But he just didn't know what to think any more. Sometimes it seemed like they were on the edge of something other than friendship; other times, like now, it seemed like he barely knew her.

Her behaviour lately was driving him crazy. She'd been dating like mad, flaunting what felt like a new guy every week, while alternately ignoring him and snapping at him. He'd tried not to let it get to him, and it had worked at first. He'd been able to tell himself that it didn't matter, they were friends and that was it. But gradually he'd found it harder and harder, and finally he'd succumbed to jealousy. He'd started avoiding her lab so she couldn't see exactly how badly it was affecting him. She'd always been able to read him like a book.

So what did he do about the flowers? Did he sneak off when he could and pick them up? Would she even notice if he did? He hadn't spoken to her except for strictly work-related conversations for almost a fortnight. Last time he had, she was dating some guy she'd met at a concert, and he just hadn't been able to stand it. If she was still dating the guy, he doubted she'd notice the presence or absence of his traditional bouquet.

...

They piled into the truck for the trip back to the Navy Yard, McGee resolutely avoiding eye contact with Tony. He knew that if he gave Tony the chance, the questioning would begin. He tuned out the bickering that was Tony and Ziva's normal conversation, still trying to make a decision. Finally they arrived back at the Yard, Tony pulling the truck into the evidence garage. He missed the look that passed between Tony and Ziva, and the nod that went with it. She walked away, saying something about getting more evidence crates. He went around the back of the truck and started unloading, Tony next to him.

"So, you been down to see Abby today?" Tony asked. McGee shot him an almost angry look before replying

"No" his tone should have left Tony in no doubt of his unwillingness to discuss the subject, but Tony didn't notice. Or chose to ignore it.

"She seemed a little down when I was there" His interest was sparked by that. He hated to see her unhappy, even more than he hated seeing her with another guy.

"No plans for Valentine's Day will do that to you. I'm gonna take this up to her" Tony picked up the stack of evidence crates and headed for the elevator, leaving a confused but hopeful McGee behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here it is, as promised. Only one more chapter to go. F.**

No plans for Valentine's Day? Tony's words echoed in his memory. Everyone who had someone had plans for Valentine's Day, at least in the Western world. That could only mean she'd broken up with her latest boyfriend. He felt his heart lighten a little at the thought. Not that Abby single on Valentine's Day meant he had any more of a chance with her than Abby with a boyfriend on Valentine's Day, but at least it meant he had one less guy to be jealous of tonight. He suddenly realised he'd been holding the door of the truck for at least the last few minutes. Gibbs would have his hide if he didn't get upstairs. He slammed the door shut and headed for the elevator.

...

He spent most of the afternoon running computer searches. Bank records, phone records, service records, all had to be searched for and checked. Gibbs had largely given up on sending him to Abby's lab lately, for which he was grateful. He still hadn't seen Abby today. Given the state of their relationship lately, that wasn't that unusual, but he was definitely going to go down and see her. He just had to find the chance to leave the base for a little while first. He didn't want to go down there empty handed. Not if he wanted the chance to put their friendship back on track.

Unfortunately the case had other plans. Try as they might, every single lead they had ran into a dead end. It wasn't a total dead end- all they really needed was a warrant- but no one could seem to find a judge willing to come in to sign off on one late in the afternoon. Finally Gibbs couldn't stand the lack of progress, and an increasingly whiny DiNozzo, any longer and dismissed them for the night.

McGee restrained himself from imitating Tony's mad dash for the elevator, but he still almost knocked Palmer flying as he headed for the parking lot. He was running out of time to get to the florist's before they closed.

...

She went to the machine for one last Caf-Pow. She'd drink it while she was shutting her babies down for the night, then she'd go. She knew she was stalling, but she couldn't help herself

While waiting for the jumbo sized cup to fill, she heard voices in the corridor behind her. Ducky and Palmer. They were laughing about how eager Tony was to leave.

"...Probably got a date. Even Agent McGee nearly bowled me over getting out of the elevator..." she distinctly heard Palmer tell his boss. Her heart sank. Tim had already gone. Without seeing her.

Disconsolate, she wandered slowly back to her lab. Grabbing Bert, she flopped down on the chair in front of her computers. She fought back tears. He was the one person she wanted to see today and he'd gone without coming by. That hurt. She admitted to herself that she cared a lot for Tim, maybe even loved him. Squeezing the hippo tightly, she allowed one or two tears to fall, then resolutely put Bert back on the desk and wiped her eyes.

"Damn Timmy" she told the stuffed toy "If he doesn't care about me, then I don't care about him"

"Who said I don't care?"

Tim's question came from behind her. Startled, she spun the chair to face the door. He was standing in her doorway watching her, an odd expression on his face and a bunch of flowers in his hand. He took a step into the room, his eyes intent on her face. Feeling herself blushing for no apparent reason, she stammered

"Palmer said... I thought you'd gone for the night"

"I left for a little bit, to pick these up" he lifted the flowers a little "Who said I don't care?"

Clearly, he was not going to be turned from that question

"No one said it, Tim, no one had to! You barely speak to me, you don't come down here, we don't hang out anymore..." she trailed off. The odd expression was back on his face.

"That's what you think, huh?" his voice was gentle and sad. He turned and put the flowers he was still holding in the refrigerator, then moved to her door and closed it. She distinctly heard the lock click as he turned it.

"What are you doing?" she asked. No one locked that door when she was around

"Something I should have done a long time ago, Abby" he planted himself in front of the door, preventing her from attempting to unlock it "We are going to actually talk for once"

...

He waited for a few moments, wondering if she was going to say something. It quickly became clear that she had no such intention. It was up to him to start.

"You're wrong, you know. I may not have been around much lately, but that doesn't mean I don't care" he told her. He saw the scepticism in her eyes, but she still didn't speak. He sighed in frustration. Why must she be so damned stubborn?

"Look, Abs-" he began, but she quickly cut him off

"So why have you been avoiding me then?" she sounded annoyed, and for some reason that irritated him. His normally even temper broke, all the frustration and hurt of the past few months coming to the fore

"Because I'm crazy jealous of the guys you've been dating! Because every time I talk to you lately you're telling me about another one, and I just can't stand it Abby! I had to talk myself out of putting out a BOLO on the last one" he saw how taken aback she was and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down and stop yelling. In a milder tone of voice, he continued "I'm jealous because I'm in love with you, Abs, and I'd give anything to be the guy that you're dating. But you don't think of me that way, so I'm stuck. Just don't ever make the mistake of thinking that I don't care about you"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: All done now. Happy Valentine's Day everyone! F.**

"_I'm jealous because I'm in love with you, Abs, and I'd give anything to be the guy that you're dating. But you don't think of me that way, so I'm stuck. Just don't ever make the mistake of thinking that I don't care about you"_

Shocked by his revelation, all she could do was stare blankly at him. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but the words wouldn't come. She didn't know what she'd say anyway. He was watching her intently, the most worried expression she'd ever seen on his face. The tips of his ears were slowly turning red, sure sign that he was embarrassed by his outburst. The silence lengthened, becoming extremely uncomfortable

"Damn it Abby, say something" he half demanded, half begged.

"You're-you're in love with me?" she asked. At his nod, she sank back down onto her chair "Oh wow..." She leaned forward, propping her head on her hands, trying to comprehend what he'd just told her.

After a moment, she sat up, looking at him. "Why did you tell me that?"

He shrugged "Kinda slipped out. Look, Abs, I'm sorry. I've said it now, and I can't take that back, and I can't change the way I feel"

She nodded slowly. This wasn't something you could just forget.

"So where do we go from here?"

He sighed, unlocking the door and stepping aside. "That's up to you, Abs"

...

He expected her to leave, to get up and walk right on out of his life. She was a complex and contradictory woman, Abigail Scuito. Despite being an affectionate and demonstrative person, she shied away from any deeper emotion. Add her commitment phobia to the mix... and he'd just told her that he was in love with her. Of course she was going to leave.

But she didn't. She didn't move at all, just stayed sitting there watching him. Unconsciously he smiled. Her ability to constantly surprise him was one of the things he loved most about her. She cocked her head, silently questioning his smile. He wiped it, trying to keep his expression neutral. It wasn't easy. He wanted to know what she was thinking, especially as she hadn't reacted the way he'd expected. If he pressed her now, she'd leave for sure.

"You know this changes everything, right?" she asked him

"Yeah, I know. One of the many reasons I never told you"

Finally she stood, walking towards him. He took half a step back, leaving her room to open the door. She stopped in front of him, laying her hand on his arm, further surprising him

"What do you want, Tim?" her voice was gentle

He gulped, trying to keep a clear mind. She was too close to him; he could feel the warmth of her skin, smell her perfume. He tried to take another half step away, but couldn't; his back was against the wall. Unable to stop himself, he reached out and gently ran his hand along her jaw. She lifted her own hand, covering his. Their eyes locked. They stood frozen like that for a moment, before his self control failed him completely. He pulled her to him, kissing her gently at first, then with increasing passion as he felt her respond to him.

For a few blissful minutes he let himself surrender, ignoring the faint alarm bell that was sounding in the back of his mind. The taste of her, the feel of her pressed against him filled his senses. But the alarm wouldn't be silenced. Groaning, he broke the kiss, pushing her back a step. As much as he wanted her, he couldn't do this. Not like this. He took a shuddering breath, trying to regain at least some of his self control.

"You never answered my question" she pointed out, her voice shaky. "What do you want?"

Coherent thought was still slightly beyond him

"You. This. Us, Abby." His voice was husky and the note of longing was audible even to himself. "I thought I'd made that pretty clear." He gave her a crooked smile. "But I'd settle for one date. What do you want, Abs?" He steeled himself for her answer

Her mind was still reeling from the kiss, making it hard to think. He was waiting for her to answer him. She had to be completely honest with him, the way he had been with her. Even if it was unintentional on his part. Trying to gather her thoughts, she hesitated a beat too long. She saw the hope in his eyes flicker and die. His shoulders sagged. "Right" he muttered as if to himself as he reached for the door handle. She grabbed his arm, preventing him from leaving

"Don't you dare run out on me, Tim"

They both heard the ding of the elevator arriving. Cursing mildly under her breath, she considered the options. She really didn't want to be interrupted. She reached around him with her free hand and locked the door again, then flicked the lights out. She half dragged, half led him into the second part of the lab and made him sit down at the desk. Hitting the control, she locked the automatic door that separated her office from the main part of the lab. Now he was stuck here unless she let him go.

"What was that?" he asked

"Security patrol" she explained "I didn't realise how late it had gotten, and I didn't think we needed the interruption"

"And the door?"

"Now you have to listen to me, Tim. I listened to you" she pointed out. The security patrol had given her the few moments she needed. He went to say something, but she cut him off

"Hear me out, ok?" the last thing she wanted right now was for him to react to what he thought she was going to say. He'd already jumped to the wrong conclusion. She took a deep breath

"I don't really know what I want anymore, Tim. All those guys you've been so jealous of, the only reason I've been dating them is to try to forget about you" She took a step closer to him, seeing the light come back into his eyes at her words. "But it didn't work. All I could think about was you" she kept moving towards him as she spoke, stopping just inside his reach. She wanted to close that last little gap between them so badly, but she had to tell him. "I do know that I don't want to just be your friend anymore, Tim, even if we could go back to that after tonight"

He stood up and caught one of her rapidly moving hands, using it to tug her closer to him. He was going to kiss her again; she could see it on his face.

"I'm not going to say the L word, Tim" she warned him "I don't know if I do or not"

He tilted his head, considering, then shook it slightly

"Doesn't matter" he told her

He pulled her against him, kissing her fiercely. His last coherent thought was that he really didn't care right now if she loved him or not. All that mattered was that she wanted to be with him. They'd figure the rest out later.


End file.
